Primary school Auties: into 2020! - thread 4

[LightTripper]

This is the continuation of the thread for parents and carers of autistic children in Early Years and KS1. Most of us are parents of children in Reception or Year 1, but all welcome!

Here are the links to the previous threads:

Thread 1: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3080753-DS-with-ASD-starting-school-Sept-2018-I-am-feeling-overwhelmed

Thread 2: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3451020-Reception-auties-2018-19-thread-2

Thread 3: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/3628263-Auties-transition-to-Year-1-thread-3

Light ditto. I’ve got an A3 art folder with plastic sleeves . We don’t get much to put in it though so I haven’t needed to cull it yet.

I think Ds had a good day. He’s been outside again today which is great, though most likely after the lunch break when everyone else is inside. If that’s what he’s comfortable with for now then that’s fine.

Harley I’m sorry things are still bad for you and your ds. I forget whether you’ve involved the chair of governors yet? Are sendiass still not being helpful?

Open that's fab, am I right in thinking he's only just beginning to draw? ds doesn't draw really, I don't think he really knows how tbh so just usually scribbles but after school today he drew a pic of a person slipping over with a shocked face! I asked what he slipped on and he said some twigs and those twigs are what he's drawn at the bottom, I'll attach pic below. (No idea what the little pic at the side is of 🙈) It's super cute and I thought really clever. But yes sentimental, I know what you mean, I keep so much of his stuff horder

Harley what's going on with school---- these days? Nice to hear from you x

Light good luck for tomorrow with ds, how old is he?

Liv that's fab, I remember the school you mentioned because me and ds were moving to be your neighbours! Lol. The SS here is absolutely shocking. My sister in law is a teacher in primary now but she worked at said SS for 4 years and some of the things she told me 🙈 hope visit goes well and I really hope he gets a place, but it already sounds super positive

Harley just seen your update regarding school, I'll read now x

Light it's not too far away. If he got in we'd definitely apply for transport though.
Well done to you dd for her first day back. Hope you have a relaxed evening and that the nursery goes well tomorrow!

Open that is so lovely about the picture. I have tons of 'artwork' by the kids I can't bring myself to throw away. I bought a couple of A3 scrap books last year to put the best ones in though.

That sounds like a really bad situation Harley. Are you still getting support from SENDIASS?

Light also seen ds is almost 3. Sorry asking questions you have already answered.

danni that’s super cute 😍
Yes, drawing is a fairly recent thing for ds and he still doesn’t do it often. He drew Thomas on the mega sketcher a while back and at school last term he drew a picture of his elf on the shelf hanging onto the shelf and, randomly, one of Elsa from Frozen. At the moment he’s not drawing a head outline but draws the features. He will tell you what’s happening in them which is so sweet.

And I always take photos as well as saving them. The photos at least you can keep if you throw the actual thing away.

We get a big giant head but no body. Haha! just 2 random legs coming out of a head 😂 bless them x

Crossposted danni. Love the drawing!

@open @Liv Yes sendiass are still involved. We even have a social worker attending the next meeting on monday. I think school are very slowly coming round to whats going on. I won't hold my breath though as they change there minds so often. One of the biggest issue is the senco she told me in front of ds that i need to tell ds that mummy says he has to go to school and i had to stand outside in the rain with ds till he went into school at this point we had been out there for an hour with 3 other teachers trying to talk to ds into school. I need to get them to understand that ds struggles with the school environment and that he doesnt communicate properly and how things like his visuals help and support him. Hes manged to tell me in asda last weekend it was to busy and in aldi that he need space as people where getting to close to him using his visuals. Without them he would start trying to push the trolly faster and hit people.

@danni0509 That drawing is lovely well done ds

Harley have you met the social worker that will be attending the next meeting? What are they like? Do they get it and are they likely to be supportive?

@open I have meet her once when i put a complaint in last march. She didn't get it then so i am not sure to be honest. Shes a social worker but is based at the school due to all of the issues they have with familys and theres alot of children in care at the school. The meeting is monday afternoon.

Danni I love the pic. DS doesn't draw anything at all. Before Christmas he said he was doing a painting of his 1:1 - he started off with gold paint. I said how lovely is that her hair (she has blonde hair). DS announced that his masterpiece was complete when the whole of the card was covered in gold paint!

Liv sounds v positive re the school. Fingers crossed for you.

Harley sorry to read how bad things are with school. Hope that things improve soon.

Light glad that DD's return to school went well. Hope DS's nursery visit goes well.

dimples maybe it was her aura!

I like that open

Dimples that sounds very much like my dd's recent 'pink' series. She was very excited to discover that white and red made pink.

Ds had a ‘great’ day today and went out to the playground again during break. This is so good to hear as he had another slight meltdown yesterday morning (at school, two days on the run).

He slept through until 5:30 this morning which was lovely because I did too and I don’t always.

We’re going to a friend’s birthday party tomorrow. I fully expect we’ll be leaving after approx 20 minutes!

I also have about 20 different pairs of trousers to try on him this weekend to try and find a better fit. School have said that he doesn’t have to have ‘uniform’ trousers as long as they are school colours.

How’s everyone’s weekend going?

Ds lasted about 10 minutes at the party and he wouldn’t go into the main hall. I think it was anxiety about what might happen based on the theme. It’s ok, we went to my parents for a visit instead while dh did some diy.

Otherwise he’s been perfectly happy, full of beans and very active. He is not complaining about walking any more, thank goodness, and walked up to the village shop with me this morning.

Oh, and this morning he wrote his friend’s name on the card’s envelope by copying the letters I’d written on the mini whiteboard. A year ago he wouldn’t have been able to do that and would have refused to even try. He’s making so much progress.

Liv I think pink and gold are better than DS's brown series. I remember my nephew came in one day and said to DS, what's that you're painting a poo? Naturally DS found it hilarious.

Open that's great news on the writing. DS would still refuse to try. We did his Maths homework this morning and he got all the answers write but when he tried to write them down it was mostly illegible. He often adds a squiggly tail to letters and numbers. I was writing the numbers down on a separate sheet for him to copy. He write 12 - the 1 was fine but the 2 started fine but then squiggled off down the page. I said to DS that I didn't realise 2s were meant to look like that and that I must have been doing it wrong all my life. I changed my 2 so that it looked like his, DS and I were both v amused by this and were both crying with laughter - simple pleasures, hey! I have noticed recently that DS keeps having uncontrollable fits of the giggles - it's impossible not to join in!

Oh no, how terrible that I typed write instead of right!

That's great about the writing open. Ds seems to have a entirely given up writing and drawing at the moment, I think he's just so excited about numbers he's forgotten about everything else!

Dimples the 'brown' series does sound pretty funny. Ds also has a completely infectious laugh, it's very hard not to join in.

I was really impressed with ds yesterday. We have these magnetic building blocks that he loves. He found the book with ideas for what to build and pointed out quite a complicated robot. He found all the bits and built it completely by himself. First time he's done something like that.

dimples more important that he’s getting the maths questions right at the moment I’d say. And he is writing the numbers at least, I’m sure better form will come with more practice. I try to have a number line out while we’re doing any maths so ds can refer to it. Having fun and laughing about these things is definitely going to help more than angst over it.

liv so great that ds built the robot all by himself and that he’s focussing on numbers. The writing and drawing will come back at some point.

Our dc are doing so well. It warms my heart 🥰

I’m reading the Luke Beardon book on Light’s recommendation. This is what he calls the ‘golden equation’. It’s very encouraging.

autism + lack of understanding = poor outcome
autism + good understanding = positive outcome